Other Threads

Ceremony

At age 12, I spent my first night alone in the desert on a 24 hour solo and walked across a threshold of hot coals into a new life of wonder and desire for attunement with forces seen and unseen. Over the decades since, I have had the honor and privilege to sit, learn from, and pray with many indigenous elders and spiritual teachers - all of whom have enriched and guided my path in indescribable ways. Ceremony has become more and more a way of life over these years, and I am forever grateful and indebted to those who have welcomed me in and brought me along - especially my now ancestors, the late Gilbert Walking Bull, Jeannie Kerrigan, and Dedan Gills - and the living Basil Braveheart and Arkan Lushwala.

Family

After our spiritual wedding in summer of 2015, my love and co-conspirator, Katia Sol, and I legally married in the witness of friends and family in late Fall 2016. We had met at the annual Bioneers Conference in 2010 and share many passions in life and service to the Great Turning. Our partnership has opened and deepened new dimensions of my life - in the healing work between the masculine and the feminine, as well as the gifts of becoming a step-father to her two sons, Jalen (12), and Mateo (9). Katia and I co-direct Ecology of Leadership Programs together and live on the edge of Wildcat Canyon in the East Richmond Heights of Richmond, CA.

Conservation

Peregrine Falcon Study, Big Sur, CA

I began work as a biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 1996 - studying the impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on seabirds nesting in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Over the years, projects have come to include work on Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Black-legged Kittiwake, Pigeon Guillemot, Gray Wolf, and more recently Desert Tortoise. These have ranged from assessments of reproductive success and population dynamics to studies of foraging habits and behavior, and included translocations, nesting bird surveys, as well as construction monitoring and regulatory compliance consulting for major construction projects - mainly in renewable energy generation (solar, wind) and transmission.

Nature Awareness & Connection

Puma track,
Escalante River, UT

Since my early days roaming the woods surrounding my home town in Germany, I have been fascinated by nature and wildness, and called deeply into myself and my passions by cultivating vibrant contact and connection with life. Through self-directed and academic nature studies, as well as training with the Tracker School and Wilderness Awareness School, I have developed a strong sense of place and strong ropes with the natural world. I believe we are beings of nature, and most true, alive, and in service when we are well-connected to the web of life.

Travel & Adventure

On the flanks of Aoraki, Mt. Cook, NZ

The joy of deep nature connection has brought me to many beautiful places around the world. As an avid climber, mountaineer, bicyclist, and lover of wide open spaces, I have been touched deeply by the people and places I have been privileged to visit. Some of my favorites include Alaska, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, as well as the central coast, Mojave Desert, and Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

Music

Growing up in a musical family, I have been singing and playing instruments since before I could talk. But it has only been in more recent years that I am carving out more significant time to cultivate this passion. Having studied with Bobby McFerrin, Dave Worm, and other talented vocalists, I now have two vocal ensemble projects - Spirit's Edge and The Elements, which released its first Improvisational A Capella album in May 2017.​

The Ocean

Free diving, Bonaire

I started drawing ocean scenes and boats before I was in Kindergarten. Since then, I have continued to explore water in many ways over the years - surfing, rafting, boating, snorkeling, scuba and free diving, and many other pursuits. Most recently, free diving has captured my heart and has opened up a beautiful journey in deeply immersive, meditative ventures into the sea.